mgreier@salemnews.net
SALEM City Utilities Commission members said they’ll review recommended sewer rate increases over the next few months before taking any action.
Whatever they decide, Salem City Council members will have final say on whether to increase the sewer rates.
The sewer rates have not been touched since 1995 that’s 25 years while the cost of doing business and complying with state mandates have continued to rise every year.
A study by the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) said the city should enact a $13 per customer increase on the monthly minimum sewer bill and a 2.10 percent increase to the monthly sewer usage rate this year. The study also recommended a $5 per customer increase to the monthly minimum sewer bill and 2.10 percent increase to the monthly sewer usage rate for each additional year through 2025.